A system

I need a system for cleaning. And other household duties. By the time I come home from work and get the kids from school, I feel exhausted. Sure, I don't do much at work, but it's still tiring. The tiredness is the excuse/reason. The state of filthiness in my house is also caused by my high tolerance/ignorance of the true state. For days and weeks I can simply ignore the dirt and dust. And pretend not to see the heaps of unfolded laundry in my living room.

But then there comes a point when a switch is turned. All of a sudden I can see all the dirt and dust. I can't even stand to be in the same room with the heaps of clothes. The kitchen cabinets seem grimy. So I start cleaning, and turn into a military sergeant putting my little annoyed soldiers to work. But the problem is, that the state of filth is so high, that it can't simply be cleaned in an hour. It's so bad, that you can spend 2 hours on the house, and a person walking in, would still think it's a mess. That's because it's the small invisible things that take the most time. Cleaning the inside of the microwave or fridge. Getting dust bunnies from under the furniture. Folding heaps of laundry that have been well hidden. Then there comes a point when I just give up. It's too much. It can't be done. (at least the house is a LITTLE bit cleaner by that point)

I've had good systems in the past. One where I would clean in 15 minute increments. 15 minutes of cleaning, 15 minutes of whatever else. Or the chore system, where kids get daily chores. And they actually do them willingly. But after they have been glued to TV and video games for weeks, the amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth is unbelievable. You would think I'm making them clean all day, when all I'm asking for is 30 minutes. All of a sudden they have forgotten where the rags are, and how to fold laundry. And it's ALMOST better to let them get back to their games and do the cleaning myself... ALMOST.